Speculation regarding the presence of North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia inside Ukraine has been ongoing for weeks, and President Zelensky has finally acknowledged their involvement. The country is said to have one of the largest armies in the world and has been supplying munitions to Russia for months as part of its so-called special military operation within Ukraine. Now, Kyiv states that North Korea may be providing direct military aid for the first time.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared to admit this possibility in his nightly address, as reported by German newspaper Die Welt. The speech was translated and stated that “North Korean soldiers are fighting together with Russians.” Ukrainian state media also published Zelensky’s address, where he discussed the strengthening alliance between Russia and regimes such as North Korea. He noted that it is no longer just about the transfer of weapons but also involves the transfer of people from North Korea to Russian military forces.
Zelensky emphasized the need for more weapons and permission to use the weapons already provided in long-range strikes against the Russian interior to degrade its war machine. He highlighted that the frontline needs more support, and when discussing giving Ukraine greater long-range capabilities and more decisive supplies for their forces, it is not just a list of military equipment.
While many foreign nationalities fight in Ukraine for both Kyiv and Moscow, the involvement of the North Korean army could be a significant boost to Russia. On paper, North Korea has an army over one million strong, but the extent to which this can be deployed is unclear due to the secretive nature of the country. However, North Korea does have some advantages, such as reserves of Soviet-type ammunition from the 20th century that are still in use today.
Russia has been drawing on these deep reserves from North Korea for months, with reports in August suggesting Russia had received 13,000 shipping containers of munitions from Pyongyang. It is believed that as many as half of all the artillery shells Russia now uses in Ukraine may be North Korean, but there are concerns about their effectiveness, with claims that many of them may be decades old and thus unreliable or duds.
Although this is the first time a Ukrainian president has acknowledged the presence of North Korean soldiers in Ukraine, it has been discussed both within and without the invaded nation for weeks. For example, South Korea’s defence minister suggested that it was “highly likely” North Korea had sent soldiers to fight in Ukraine and had likely suffered casualties there. The Times of London also reported on the subject, citing a source in the Ukrainian government who explained that North Korean engineers were overseeing the use of Pyongyang weapons by the Russian army, with some already dead.